I’m sick this week, which, as many people in my office can attest, makes me whiny. All I really want to do is curl up in a corner with my pink blankie, watch bad tv, and complain. I have the attention span and thought retention of a dishrag. But my mom raised me with the idea that if you go to school (or work) all week, you can go out on the weekends.
So off to the movies I went. What’s better than a whole bottle of Theraflu and a brand new box of Puffs Plus with Lotion? “The Expendables”!
The road to this showing was paved with good intentions but mixed with roadblocks. After buying tickets for an early show, I headed off to the bookstore, where I became absorbed by various reading materials, only to notice that it was 1:05 and my show started at 1:10. But I was sure that the crowd wouldn’t be that bad, and it wouldn’t be a problem - until I discovered that the theater (as small as it was) was already full.
Off to guest services…to exchange my tickets for a showing 30 minutes later. REFUSING to miss anything this time, I settle in at the benches by the theater. After ten minutes, I go in early and see a sign telling me LINE STARTS HERE. I’m the third person in line, only to find people bypassing the line and just entering the theater. (People like that piss me off!)
Wondering if the Cinematic Gods are hating me, I go in to a much bigger, mostly empty auditorium. But my bad mood seems to evaporate as the film starts (after what seems like dozens of trailers).
“The Expendables” was one of the summer movies that I most anticipated. Who wouldn’t love the cast? It’s a who’s who of action movies – current and past. I expected it to be one of those films where you buy your nachos and soda, sit down, suspend belief, and just go with the lack of a story.
Surprisingly enough, though, it’s much more.
I expected action, which I got in spades. The only thing missing was a body count ticker in the lower right (which REALLY should be on the DVD). There’s lots of blood, but refreshingly enough there isn’t any nudity or profanity. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is always a plus. The one-liners fly almost as fast as the bullets. I had forgotten that Stallone has been Oscar-nominated for a screenplay. I laughed often. Even the cameos are used to the fullest extent. I had an absolute blast.
The only down side is that the choreography isn’t quite as good as it could be. Although the fights are dispersed between the stars, it’s sometimes hard to identify the participants. But I can forgive that.
Maybe next time I’m sick, instead of going to the closest corner, I’ll go to the nearest cineplex – right after I go to the pharmacy.
8/11/2010
Date Night - Don't Save this Date!
Tina Fey is the funniest woman on the planet, bar none. She’s also one of the smartest women in the business – a rare gem that isn’t afraid to show her intelligence, but isn’t afraid to dumb it down either, when needed.
But she’s funnier when she writes the words that she speaks. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in her latest effort - “Date Night”.
“Date Night” is about two people who have been married forever. You know the type. You don’t really talk anymore, unless it is to catalog a never ending to-do list. You live your life in sequential order – get awakened by the kids, send them to school, go to work, come home, have dinner, homework, kids bed, you bed. Rinse, lather, and repeat. To combat the unavoidable ennui in their lives, they do the same thing a lot of suburban couples do – they instituted “Date Night”. This means they go to the local cineplex and then their favorite steakhouse. They pick out patrons and construct their stories (the most charm of the movie). But unfortunately even that is repetitive.
Repetition is really the core of this movie. It turns into boredom. There’s a reason the run time is under 90 minutes. Were there a few chuckles? Sure. But these came usually when the two actors (Fey and Steve Carrell, hit or miss in general and missing most of the time here) are standing still, just talking. My favorite scene was at an expensive trendy restaurant as they try to get a phone number. They decide to change their appearance. Fey suddenly morphs into Parker Posey and Carrell just looks stupid.
The supporting cast is filled with famous actors doing bit parts – I’m sure you’ve already read about this. The most notable are James Franco playing a degenerate and Mark Wahlberg, playing a shirtless fantasy object. But to me that’s not really entertaining – that’s just actors having a laugh, amusing themselves more than me.
Personally, I like the rinse, lather and repeat. I like knowing what’s coming down the pike (or most of it anyway). But there’s something to also be said for the happy medium. My recent excursion to Atlantic City taught me that I do like to get out and have fun. Things don’t always have to be scheduled. Short notice isn’t necessarily bad. Staying at home all the time, although more affordable and in this heat, more comfortable, is fun sometimes – but not all the time. So, although I like my MANY routines, there’s nothing wrong with changing it up from time to time.
It just would have been nice if the screenwriters would have thought the same. When you have two of the funniest people in comedy tag teaming a film, it should have been better than this. Maybe Tina Fey should have hired the writers herself – or they should have hired her to write it.
But she’s funnier when she writes the words that she speaks. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in her latest effort - “Date Night”.
“Date Night” is about two people who have been married forever. You know the type. You don’t really talk anymore, unless it is to catalog a never ending to-do list. You live your life in sequential order – get awakened by the kids, send them to school, go to work, come home, have dinner, homework, kids bed, you bed. Rinse, lather, and repeat. To combat the unavoidable ennui in their lives, they do the same thing a lot of suburban couples do – they instituted “Date Night”. This means they go to the local cineplex and then their favorite steakhouse. They pick out patrons and construct their stories (the most charm of the movie). But unfortunately even that is repetitive.
Repetition is really the core of this movie. It turns into boredom. There’s a reason the run time is under 90 minutes. Were there a few chuckles? Sure. But these came usually when the two actors (Fey and Steve Carrell, hit or miss in general and missing most of the time here) are standing still, just talking. My favorite scene was at an expensive trendy restaurant as they try to get a phone number. They decide to change their appearance. Fey suddenly morphs into Parker Posey and Carrell just looks stupid.
The supporting cast is filled with famous actors doing bit parts – I’m sure you’ve already read about this. The most notable are James Franco playing a degenerate and Mark Wahlberg, playing a shirtless fantasy object. But to me that’s not really entertaining – that’s just actors having a laugh, amusing themselves more than me.
Personally, I like the rinse, lather and repeat. I like knowing what’s coming down the pike (or most of it anyway). But there’s something to also be said for the happy medium. My recent excursion to Atlantic City taught me that I do like to get out and have fun. Things don’t always have to be scheduled. Short notice isn’t necessarily bad. Staying at home all the time, although more affordable and in this heat, more comfortable, is fun sometimes – but not all the time. So, although I like my MANY routines, there’s nothing wrong with changing it up from time to time.
It just would have been nice if the screenwriters would have thought the same. When you have two of the funniest people in comedy tag teaming a film, it should have been better than this. Maybe Tina Fey should have hired the writers herself – or they should have hired her to write it.
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